In order to improve the accuracy of image processing (image correction) of image data that was shot by a shooting device, a technique is known to divide the image into plural regions and to perform an image correction with a focus on an emphasis region of the image. Since the emphasis region of an image is generally considered as being equivalent to a region that contains the major object of the image, the central region of the image is typically used as the emphasis region.
However, the major object is not always located in the central region of an image. For example, in the case where an image is shot with a row of mountains in its background, the major object of the image may possibly be located in its side region. Accordingly, in the case where the major object is located in the side region of an image, conventional techniques that identify the central region of an image as an emphasis region had difficulties in achieving an image correction of the major object with high accuracy and therefore could not obtain an intended output result.